Generational issues in linking family farming production, traditional food in diet, physical activity and obesity in Pacific Islands countries and territories: the case of the Melanesian population on Lifou Island.

In the Melanesian culture, traditional activities are organized around family farming, although the lifestyle transition taking place over the last several decades has led to imbalances in diet and physical activity, with both leading to obesity. The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to understand the links between family farming (produced, exchanged, sold, and consumed food), diet (focused on produced, hunted, and caught food), physical activity (sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) and obesity in Melanesian Lifou Island families (parents and children). Forty families, including 142 adults and children, completed individual food frequency questionnaires, wore tri-axial accelerometers for seven continuous days, and had weight and height measured with a bio-impedance device. A family farming questionnaire was conducted at the household level concerning family farming practices and sociodemographic variables. Multinomial regression analyses and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Results showed that family farming production brings a modest contribution to diet and active lifestyles for the family farmers of Lifou Island. The drivers for obesity in these tribal communities were linked to diet in the adults, whereas parental socioeconomic status and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were the main factors associated to being overweight and obesity in children. These differences in lifestyle behaviors within families suggest a transition in cultural practices at the intergenerational level. Future directions should consider seasonality and a more in-depth analysis of diet including macro- and micro- nutrients to acquire more accurate information on the intergenerational transition in cultural practices and its consequences on health outcomes in the Pacific region.

Living in Rural and Urban Areas of New Caledonia: Impact on Food Consumption, Sleep Duration and Anthropometric Parameters Among Melanesian Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Food consumption, sleep duration and overweight were assessed in rural and urban Melanesian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 312 rural and 104 urban adolescents (11-16 years old) was conducted. Food intakes were assessed by a 26-item food frequency questionnaire and then categorised into the number of serves from each of the three recommended Pacific food groups (energy foods, protective foods, bodybuilding foods), with two additional categories for foods and drinks to be avoided i.e., processed foods and sugary drinks. Number of food serves were compared with the guidelines of 50% serves from energy foods, 35% serves from protective foods and 15% serves from bodybuilding foods. Sleep duration as hours per day was self-reported and body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured weight and height. RESULTS: Approximately 17.9% of rural and 26.9% of urban adolescents met the guidelines for energy foods; 61.5% rural and 69.2% urban met the serves for protective foods and 88.5% and 94.2% met the serves for bodybuilding foods. Less than 6.4% rural and 1.9% urban adolescents avoided processed foods but 61.5% rural and 56.7% urban avoided sugary beverages. Sleep duration for school days was below the international recommendations and did not significantly differ between rural and urban groups: respectively, 8.16 ± 1.10 and 8.31 ± 1.29 h. Overweight/obesity percentage was 38.1% for rural and 31.7% for urban adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Although traditional foods, including protective food, are still part of the adolescents' diet, low consumption of the energy food group and high consumption of processed food occurs regardless of location. As poor eating habits and insufficient sleep may contribute to overweight/obesity, educational nutrition programs should target these lifestyle variables.

Body image, body dissatisfaction and weight status of Pacific adolescents from different ethnic communities: a cross-sectional study in New Caledonia.

Objective(s): The prevalence of adolescent obesity is high among the various ethnic groups native to the Pacific region (European, Melanesian and Polynesian). An important factor of weight gain or loss is body size satisfaction; however, little is known about adolescent body self-perception in the Pacific region.Design: Body dissatisfaction was evaluated using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale in a sample of 699 adolescents from rural and urban areas of New Caledonia. The socio-demographic factors associated with higher body dissatisfaction were determined by multiple linear regression modeling.Results: Our results showed a high rate of body dissatisfaction (over 70%) in the adolescents. Body dissatisfaction was strongly related to the body mass index z-score. Melanesians boys had higher body dissatisfaction scores when they felt 'too thin' while Melanesian girls showed lower body dissatisfaction when they felt 'too fat.'.Conclusion: These results showed that social pressure for thinness or musculature may be different among adolescents living in New Caledonia. These results should be taken into account in education overweight prevention programs.

Nutrition behaviors and sociodemographic factors associated with overweight in the multi-ethnic adolescents of New Caledonia.

Objectives: New Caledonia is a multi-ethnic French territory in the Pacific, characterized by communities with widely varying nutritional habits. Little is currently known about adolescent food behaviors and habits and their association with overweight. This study therefore determined the sociodemographic factors and food behaviors associated with overweight and underweight in this population, as well as the factors associated with skipping breakfast. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among New Caledonian adolescents using a self-administered questionnaire; anthropometric measurements were also taken. Weight status was determined using international cutoffs, and the factors associated with overweight and underweight were identified with multiple logistic regression analysis. The factors associated with breakfast skipping were also determined. Results: Skipping breakfast, being Melanesian, living in a rural area and having low economic status were positively associated with overweight in these adolescents. Skipping breakfast was relatively infrequent, reported by 18% and 13% of the males and females, respectively. Logistic regression models found that the main factors associated with breakfast consumption habits were gender, weight status and ethnicity. Conclusions: Several factors are associated with overweight status in New Caledonian adolescents. Breakfast education should be improved for adolescents living in rural areas and from low socioeconomic status.

Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Fitness in Rural and Urban 11- to 16-Year-Old Melanesian Adolescents: A Cross-sectional Study in New Caledonian Schools.

We evaluated anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness in 556 Melanesian adolescents from rural and urban New Caledonia to build health education programs focused on physical activity. In 2013, body weight, height, skinfold thickness, lean body mass (LBM), percentage fat body mass (%FBM), physical fitness (power, agility, speed, maximal aerobic speed [MAS], estimated VO2max), and self-reported physical activity were assessed. Rural adolescents were significantly shorter and faster, had lower weight, %FBM, LBM, and power output and similar MAS and VO2max, and were more active than urban adolescents. Rural girls were significantly shorter, had higher MAS and VO2max, and were faster and significantly more active than urban girls while similar %BFM was observed in both groups of girls. Rural boys showed significantly lower height, weight, %FBM, and power and were significantly faster and more active than urban boys. In conclusion, rural Melanesian adolescents are more active, with good physical fitness (especially boys), although high %FBM was noted (especially in girls).

Misperception of weight status in the pacific: preliminary findings in rural and urban 11- to 16-year-olds of New Caledonia.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent obesity is prevalent in Pacific region ethnic groups (European, Melanesian and Polynesian) living in both urban and rural areas. Although body perception is an important factor of weight gain or loss, little is known about the body self-perceptions of Pacific region adolescents. This study therefore evaluated adolescent perceptions of body weight according to ethnicity (European, Melanesian or Polynesian), socioeconomic status (low, intermediate or high) and living area (rural or urban) in New Caledonia. METHODS: Sociodemographic and anthropomorphic data from 737 adolescents (351 boys and 386 girls) with ages ranging from 11 to 16 years were collected and analysed. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standards were used to define weight status as normal-weight, underweight or overweight/obese. Weight perception was assessed from detailed questionnaires, with adolescents rating their own weight with the following descriptors: 'about the right weight', 'too heavy', or 'too light'. RESULTS: Results showed that only 8.5% of normal-weight adolescents (7% boys and 10% girls) identifying themselves as 'too heavy'. Normal-weight Melanesian adolescents were less likely than their European counterparts to assess themselves as too heavy (OR = 0.357). However, half the overweight/obese adolescents underestimated their weight status (53% boys and 48% girls). Weight misperception was associated with ethnicity, socioeconomic status and living area, with gender-specific differences. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that these sociodemographic factors should be taken into account when designing public health policies and health education school programmes in New Caledonia and, more broadly, the Pacific region.

Intensity, recovery kinetics and well-being indices are not altered during an official FIFA futsal tournament in Oceanian players.

Physiological responses (intensity and recovery kinetics) and well-being indices were examined during a 4-day FIFA international tournament. Ten outfield New Caledonian players (age: 25.5 ± 3.8 years; height: 170 ± 7 cm; weight: 70.7 ± 8.6 kg) were assessed during the four matches. Players' aerobic and anaerobic capacities were measured before the tournament while heart rate (HR), intra-matches recovery and well-being indices (Hooper index) were measured throughout the tournament. HR (168 ± 8 bpm), exercise intensity (83.4 ± 2.3% of HR reserve) and recovery indices were similar throughout the tournament. Well-being indices were largely alike during the tournament while rating of perceived exertion increased throughout the tournament that was not associated with HR or well-being indices. High aerobic and anaerobic capacities were associated with high match intensities and slow recovery indices. In summary, match intensity assessed by HR, recovery kinetics and well-being of Oceanian futsal players were not modified during a 4-day FIFA futsal tournament. Assessment of aerobic and anaerobic capacities may be useful to select players for optimal performance during this type of international tournament.